Edu-Wednesday: Leaders in Education

I’ve been involved in higher education close to 10 years now. I’m passionate about education because I think it’s the great equalizer in our society. Education is vital because it’s instrumental in developing how American society will look in the future. A high quality education for Latinos means we will be able to develop a new generation of leaders in the areas of business, science, technology, medicine, and education.

And while the United States has made significant strides in educating all of its population, many gaps still remain. Many challenges persist: harmful race relations, increasing economic inequality, crumbling inner cities, polarizing political environments, and declining school systems.

These and other problems that face our country might be viewed as one of leadership. Leadership in education is not limited to our elected officials but those in our country that can also make a difference – in short, you and I. Leaders in education can be anyone who wishes to serve as an agent of change.

A significant challenge in the Latino community is that too few of us are involved in trying to change the status quo. Nowhere is this more important than in the area of education. Considered from this perspective, empowering students, developing their skills, and enabling their talents is all our responsibilities. Leadership in education is a challenge that should be accepted by all of us.